BCFN Young Earth Solutions YES! Waste-free, regent - free and environmentally friendly combined technology for processing of fruit and vegetables Abstract: We propose a new complex, non-waste, environmentally friendly and reagent-free technology for processing vegetable raw materials and their waste, which can be successfully used in the production of juices, sauces, pastes, confectionery, bakery and pharmaceutical industry: • From the top layer of skin - flavedo can be obtained clean, high quality, with good yield (90 - 95%), expensive essential oil; • From the pulp of fruits and vegetables - squeezing juice and if necessary obtaining a clarified or concentrated juice by ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis methods; • From the bottom layer of the skin - the albedo and the remaining after squeezing juice pulp - without the cost of reagents, obtaining food fibers, in particular highesterified, high-quality, 3 times cheaper pectin and P-vitamin; • Acid and alkali necessary to isolate these products, and water to dilute the concentrated juice, in parallel, without any material costs in a single technological cycle can be obtained from sea water by electrodialysis: in the electrode chambers of electrodialyzer - acid and alkali, in the chambers of desalination - water, in concentration chambers - concentrate sea salt (pharm. drug); • The mass remaining after separation of pectin and P-vitamin - for animal feed.
Author
Natia Bejanidze
WASTE-FREE, REGENT - FREE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COMBINED TECHNOLOGY FOR PROCESSING OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES 1. Research Novelty, Goals and Objectives The project goal is the development of eco-pure waste-free combined technology for fruit and vegetable processing and the production within a single technologic cycle of high quality, sediment-resistant fruit and vegetable juices, pectin, P vitamin and essential oils with a long shelf life. 1.1 Importance of the Problem, Research Novelty The economic progress of a country depends on the national income growth that is not feasible without a rapid development of processing industry and its technological renovation/re-equipment, without the development and implementation of eco-pure, waste-free technologies. An agricultural country cultivating great quantities of vegetables and fruit. Therefore it is essential for this country to have sufficient manufacturing capacities for the wastefree processing of fruit and vegetables into high quality competitive products profitably marketable both at home and abroad The great amount of unutilized waste is dumped, its decay deteriorates the local ecological situation resulting in the soil, water and air pollution. The radical improvement in this field will be only made possible with the development of a combined technology that will supplement the conventional fruit technology with the electromembrane and baromembrane processes of the membrane technology. The membrane technology allows to manufacture high quality products that do not require any extra sterilization, increases the product output 1,5 – 2 times. It will be the manufacture of high quality food products with predetermined properties and composition, high alimentary and biological value; there will be no product loss during storage; thus it will be an entirely waste-free fruit – processing technology. Baromembrane processes are generally performed in a stationary mode on flat membranes, and they are used for the removal of fats, extraction of proteins and purification of enzymic solutions. Electromembrane processes are performed for the rectification and production of potable water. They are known to have been applied for juice purification. Different membrane types have been recently tested in different operation modes to establish the feasibility of their application for the purification and concentration of extracts, infusions and juices by membrane technology methods. For instance, some investigation has been done for the application of reverse osmosis electrodialysis and ultrafiltration for the pectin and P vitamin production from citrus and grapes press cake. It should be noted that the current production of expensive essential oils from citrus peel makes only 1-2% of an unstable product good only for 12 month-shelflife. The essential oils remaining in citrus juice deteriorate its flavour by increasing the juice bitterness. The novelty of this research is in the development of the combined technology for the processing of fruit – apples, pears, peaches, cherries, grapes, bilberries, plums, vegetables – beet, potatoes, egg plants, cabbage-, citrus fruit – lemons, grapefruit, oranges, tangerines. This technology will allow to perform several procedures within a single technological cycle: 1
To perform desalination of low-salt artesian and high-salt sea water to produce fresh potable water by an electrodialysis method and to use the potable water produced in this process for the concentrated juice dilution. Simultaneous to the potable water production, an acid and alkali will be separated in electrode chambers; Prior to the pressing juice out of fruit, essential oils will be recovered by a plasmolysis method allowing to extract 5-6% of essential oils instead of the conventional 1-2%. To achieve this objective an efficient plant will be designed and assembled, its operation will facilitate the extraction of essential oils, pectin and P vitamin, and improve the juice quality in comparison with the conventional technology. There will be a big yield of high quality storageresistant essential oils; After the essential oils are recovered, the juice will be pressed out and filtered by an ultrafiltration method under different modes (static and dynamic), on different type membranes with different porosity properties. It will be the juice of high quality, sterile, sediment- and storage-resistant, so it will be a competitive product. Being sterile the produced juices do not require any additional heating in contrast to the conventional technology. So such juices will have the same flavour and colouring as pure juices, they will also possess their biologic and alimentary value. They will be homogeneous with no pulp sedimentation. The juice shelf life will increase two-threefold; The acid and the alkali produced in the electrodialysis plant will be utililised to extract pectin and P vitamin from the fruit and vegetable press cake;. Obtained acid and base is used to get pectin from juice production waste: pectin isolates is prepared, their precipitation by different chemical reagents is done optimal mode of preconcentration by electrodialysis and ultrafiltration methods is studied; Obtaining pectin-Na+ sorbent and polymetal complexes from juice production waste by combined membrane technology based on electromembrane and baromembrane processes; Determination of composition, structure, solubility and complex-making ability of pectin -Na+sorbent with metals including biogenic and heavy metals :s - Ca 2+, Mg 2+, p – Cr 2+ , Mn 2+, Pb2+, Sn2+, Sb2+, AI3+ and d – Ni 2+, Fe 2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Cd 2+, Cu 2+; study demineralization-demetallization processes of juices, natural and industry waste waters, containing heavy metals.
In a single technological cycle: to have the maximum yield of essential oils from the fruit peel on the designed plant; to produce high quality, storage- and sediment-resistant sterile pure fruit and vegetable juices by the optimum ultrafiltration process modes; to simultaneously produce potable water, an acid and an alkali by the optimum electrodialysis process modes for their further use for the concentrated juice dilution and the pectin and P vitamin production from the juice press cake.
Expected results of Research and their importance for science, economy and/or social sphere The project can have the favourable effect in the following areas in case of its implementation. MEDICINE 2
The ultrafiltration technological diagram will be developed for the production of clarified juices, storage- and sediment-resistant; the relationship between the clarified juice quality and the pressure ,the process efficiency, circulation time, juice temperature and concentration, membrane types and their regeneration, the mode type( static and dynamic) and the flows( single-flow and circulation) will be defined. 
The regularities will be established for the pectin and P vitamin production from isolates prepared from the juice press cake. There will be a study for the influence of the precipitating agent, its concentration and the precipitation time on the pectin metoxiliration degree and its jellying capacity, and also for the P vitamin composition and activity.
The pilot peeling plant will be assembled that will block the essential oils from getting into juices and will provide the complete essential oil extraction. The introduction of this method in the industry has a real opportunity to fill the domestic market of the new highly competitive high-quality products needed to ensure public health.
ECONOMY The preliminary technical and economic study shows that counting all the capital investments and experiment expenses the pectin produced from the juice press cake will cost USD 8( in comparison to the current price of USD 12), the medical pectin cost will be USD 40-50 (instead of the current USD 80-90), the P vitamin cost will make USD 60-70 ( instead of USD 90-100).
Pectins obtained by developed method are high-molecular, highesterified and enriched in protein, minerals and vitamins. The proposed method allows to obtain pectin-containing food products of high quality while maintaining a high percentage of pectin content and at the same time with a lower sales price than selling pectins. The proposed technological solution to the realization requires a new resource-saving method for obtaining pectin and pectincontaining products. The use of modern high-efficiency equipment allows to achieve the greatest possible degree of recovery of practically valuable substances, including pectins, sharply intensify the process, to achieve the soft conditions during which the structure of pectin, their high biological activity and nutritional value are saved. The proposed approach of processing of vegetable raw materials is new in field of development of new methods of isolation of pectin substances and obtain not only the pectin, but also new low-cost pectincontaining high quality products. Usage of this method in the industry has a real opportunity to fill the domestic market with the new highly competitive high-quality products needed to ensure public health The idea of work is presented in the form of the following three schemes:
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Fruit (vegetable)
Peel
Albedo
Essential oil
Flavedo
Pulp Juice Electroplasmolysis
Waste № I
ელექტროპლაზმოლიზატორი
Shredding Extraction № 1 H2O + HCI (1 : 5 : 0.05) Settling № 1
Pectin isolate № 1
Waste № 2
Extraction № 2 H2O + HCI (1 : 5 : 0.05)
Settling № 2
Pectin isolate № 2
Concentration by ultrafiltration
Extraction № 3 H2O + HCI (1 : 5 : 0.05) Concentrate
Extract
Clarification by ultrafiltration
Waste № 3
Settling № 3
Pectin isolate № 3
C2H5 OH ( CaCI2 )
H2O + NaOH
Coagulum
Allocation of P – vitamin Waste №4
Filtration
Drying
Storage
Pectin +
Pectin-Na sorbent
Pectin for usage in food, pharmaceutical, and other industries
Combine scheme for processing of fruits and vegetables
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Plant raw and waste
Chemical method
Hydroacoustic cavitation method
Obtaining pectin isolates and pectin extraction
Clarification of pectin extract – Hydroacoustic method
Preconcentration of pectin isolates and pectin extraction by membrane methods
Electrodialysis
Ultrafiltration
Acid
Pectin extraction
Alkali Preconcentrated pectin
Pectin-Na+ sorbent
Polymetal complexes
Water-soluble form
Water-insoluble form
Scheme of obtaining sorbent 5
PECTIN
PECTIN-Na+ SORBENT
Water-soluble polymetal complexes
Clarification of Mn-Fe containing industrial waste waters pectin– Mn 2+ pectin– Fe 2+
Extractionpreconcentration of heavy metals from sea water
With d – elements: pectin –Ni 2+, pectin –Fe 2+, pectin –Co 2+, pectin –Zn 2+, pectin –Cd 2+, pectin –Cu 2+.
Extraction of Cu from Cucontaining waste waters pectin –Cu 2+. With p – elements:: pectin – Cr 2+, pectin – Mn 2+, pectin –Pb 2+, pectin –Sn 2+, pectin –Sb +3, pectin –AI +3
With s – elements: pectin –Ca2+ , pectin –Mg 2+
Wine demineralization
Softening of drinking water (reduction of hardness)
Juice demetallization
Obtaining of soluble and insoluble polymetal complexes by pectinNa+ sorbent and using them
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